This year, someone dropped a 1-ounce gold South African Krugerrand into a red kettle. The volunteer bell ringer for the Salvation Army of McHenry County would thank this person as the volunteer did with everyone that donated. None of the volunteers stare at the donation going into the kettle so this bell ringer would have no idea who gave the gold coin.

Watching a Christmas Hallmark movie or volunteer bell ringing are both good ways to spend your time between now and Christmas.

Historic roots aside, Sew Hop’d has been keeping busy each holiday season since its debut, to ensure disadvantaged families get the opportunity to experience the magic of the holidays along with everyone else.

Clients drove up to the distribution site at Grafton Food Pantry. Ford, a board member of the Grafton Food Pantry, described the scene for the people that had stepped forward in their lives to give others a wonderful Thanksgiving.  She told of a volunteer greeting the clients as they stayed in their car. From that moment of anticipation of a client family, Ford explained how a volunteer would carefully load a client’s trunk with a turkey and trimmings and the client would drive away.  

Huntley Travel Managing Owner Bernice Bakley is optimistic about the prospect of a coronavirus vaccine.

“However, there are still so many obstacles for the travel industry to overcome before traveling truly opens up,” Bakley said. “Besides the obvious reasons many people are not currently traveling, the industry is dealing with some media outlets saying it is unethical to recommend travel during the pandemic and insinuating travel advisors would lie about safety to get people to travel couldn’t be farther from the truth,” she said.

Yet it is not just diabetics that are at risk, senior citizens and the immunocompromised also need to be vigilant about limiting their time outside of the home.

The ban on evictions will last through December 31 and while it’s in place, landlords may not evict tenants that do not pay.  Laura Franz, executive director of TLS Veterans, knows that many veterans like most Americans are living paycheck to paycheck right now and hope to hold onto their jobs through the pandemic.  

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Aiden Wieczorek, an HHS junior and guard on the basketball team, which went 31-0 as sophomores:
"I personally don’t like the decision because I wanted to play in a few weeks, at the normal time.

Among the veterans you’ll meet that had participated in the recent golf clinics in Lake County were Walter Flores of Oakwood Hills and Lenny Harris of Elgin. Flores and Harris are in the Healthy Minds Healthy Bodies program of Northern Illinois Special Recreation Association(NISRA)through Huntley, Cary, Dundee Township, and Wauconda and now through AllenForce’s Healthy Minds Healthy Bodies program, Flores and Harris enjoyed free golf in five training sessions at the Pine Meadows Golf Course in Mundelein.

In announcing her retirement effective December 1, Jeffers said, “Their performance during the COVID-19 pandemic has revealed how essential their work is to the betterment and survival of Kane County.”

As the number of COVID-19 cases continues increasing, the staff at the Kane County Health Department recognizes Jeffers eight-and-a-half years as executive director and in total 15 years at the health department.

“We are all familiar with the stress caused by the pandemic which includes employment, financial difficulties, mental health, substance use problems, issues with online schooling, lack of social contact, and fear for ourselves or our loved ones contracting the virus.

Doctors, parents, grandparents, health officials, and village officials are hoping kids can find some fun again this Halloween by trick-or-treating responsibly while parents monitor their safety.

Marie Mascenic, Sun City:
"I think it would be great. It would be nice to go to Rockford. Whether I’d use it or not, I don’t know.”

George Mascenic, Chicago: “I think it’s a good idea.

Plenty, if the word is gaming, meaning gambling, and placed on a sign for all the world to see on a business on the edge of downtown Huntley.

That’s what Michael Skala, manager of Goodfella’s Beef, found out Thursday when the village board of trustees turned around his proposal for sign changes on his few booths and carry-out restaurant in the Huntley Court strip mall along Route 47 just north of Coral Street.

Skala is in the middle of expanding his beefstand into the space formerly occupied by Honey Fluff Donuts, space that will allow him to realize the potential granted by the village in August, 2019, when the board approved a Class A liquor license and a video gaming license for the location.

“We cannot have our bouncies, like our pumpkin jumper or inflatable train,” said Liz Halat from Tom’s Farm Market in Huntley.

Cafe dining is outside only. And for chilly days to come?

“It does get cold, and we will provide extra seating in our greenhouse,” said Halat.

Enhanced sanitation is a sign of the season at Goebbert’s Pumpkin Patch and Apple Orchard in Pingree Grove.

With a nod to the coronavirus, the fest is moving from its normal location at Deicke Park to the confines of RocHaus, a music venue in West Dundee. While RocHaus won’t be open to the public, the three nights of live music will be livestreamed via the Huntley Fall Fest’s Facebook page.

“We were hoping to have the fest as normal…but that’s not the case,” said Bryant Haniszewski, chairman of the Huntley Fall Festival Foundation, a 100% volunteer organization.

“I have volunteers who have been with me since the beginning,” said District 158 Volunteer Coordinator Eileen Delahanty. “These people are like my family. I’m very concerned for them.”

Leggee is currently in remote learning mode, but, pre-pandemic, its hallways were dotted with cozy clusters of students and their Sun City Buddies learning reading and math one-on-one.

For the most part, when they did look ahead, the forecast wasn’t clear or balmy.

On Coral Street, glancing through his front windows and imagining the patio filled with diners seated at tables below umbrella propane heaters, BBQ King general manager Collin Beck finally shook his head.